A Parent’s Perspective: the Competitive Team at North County Gymnastics & The Gyminny Kids
A team with the best of both worlds...
My 10-year-old daughter is currently starting her third season on the competitive team at North County Gymnastics, and she is thriving. We came to NCG in search of a program that would give Kendall the tools she needed to be successful at gymnastics AND foster a normal childhood. This team program truly has the best of both worlds when it comes to balancing an extremely tough sport with raising happy kids. My daughter's favorite place to be is in the gym, and I'm so thankful for the coaches and staff at NCG, who sincerely care about the kids. These coaches are essentially helping raise the gymnasts through the time they spend together at practice, so it's the best feeling in the world knowing my daughter is safe and happy while she's there for 20 hours per week.
As a parent (and someone who never did gymnastics), there is a LOT to learn about the sport. Because of NCG's open line of communication, I always know what is going on with my daughter. Her coaches frequently connect with me to share updates on her progress, whether it's to let me know she did something great or to let me know she's struggling with a new skill.
One of the biggest hurdles Kendall faced was when she was 7 years old, entering her level 4 season. Suddenly, she was afraid to jump to the high bar. It sounds like such a simple thing, but it was a big deal to her and was putting her bar routine in jeopardy. There are gymnastics coaches out there who refuse to spot, and some would have just given up on Kendall altogether. Coach Dave tried every single approach he could think of to help my stubborn little girl, to no avail. Then one day, he told me he had talked to his wife, who told him to start over with her. Slowly, bit by bit, Dave was able to get Kendall back up on the high bar. He had Kendall's teammates write her notes of encouragement. He spotted her, held her hand when she jumped, and let her use as many mats as she needed until she felt comfortable.
To this day, Kendall still has flare-ups of fears about the high bar, even in level 7. But because Dave took the time to understand her two years ago and has built a foundation of trust, he and Coach Arielle have been able to help Kendall work through her obstacles on the bars.
The NCG coaches always take an individual approach that works for Kendall at each event, and that is what sets NCG apart from other programs. The coaches know my daughter and all her little quirks, and they understand how she works. This dynamic lets me be her mom, lets her coaches coach, and lets Kendall chase her gymnastics dreams.
Thank you, NCG, for being our home away from home.
-Laurie Pfankuch
